Safety lever-frame for car-windows.



No. 818,156. PATENTED APR.17 1906.

W. GA

SAFETY LEV-BR FRAME GAR WINDOWS.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 23, 1905.

HHHIH WVILHELM GATZEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETY LEVER-FRAME FOR CAR-WINDOWS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. April 1'7, 1906.

Application filed November 23, 1905. Serial No. 288,697.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM GATZEN, a citizen of Germany, residing at San Francisco, county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety LeverFrames for CarlVindows, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an attachment for car-windows which is especially designed for use in cases of accident for the purpose of speedily removing the glass and making a clean opening for the escape of passengers.

It consists in the combination of parts and in details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an inside view of the window. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through :20 00, Fig. 1, showing the side breaking-blade. Fig. 3 is a separate view of the transverse blade. Fig.

.4 is an exterior view showing the ledge or step below the window.

When cars are derailed, overturned, or otherwise damaged by accident, and in which they are also often ignited, the means for escape by the two doors at the end of the car are exceedingly limited, and these means are often obstructed by reason of the cars being piled up, telescoped, or thrown into one an other.

It is the object of my invention to provide a means by which escapes may be readily effected through such windows as are accessi ble and comparatively unobstructed, and this I effect by breaking out the glass evenly and smoothly, so that the person attempting to escape through the opening thus made will not be subjected to the danger of severe cuts from broken and ragged edges of glass.

I have here shown a device as especially used for car-windows; but it will be manifest that it may be used at any point where there is a sufficiently destructible space through which an opening can be made.

A represents the casing of a window which may have glass set in it in the usual manner.

Within this casing and close to the inner edges thereof is located a frame 2, preferably made of thin steel, standing with its edges vertical to the glass and having sufficient strength to serve as a lever. This frame is pivoted or fulcrumed at any suitable or desired point within the casing, and its inner edges, which contact with the glass, may be so formed that by tilting the frame about the pivot one or more of these contact-points which are nearest to the lever will first act to cut the glass close to the casing. The out being thus started, a further tilting of the lever about its fulcrum Will continue the out along the vertical sides of the glass. The upper and lower edges of the glass may be out or broken in the same Way and caused to fall out, thus leaving the window-space practi cally free and of the full size. It will be un derstood that the top, bottom, and side portions of the window-frame will be provided with these cutting-plates, which can thus be used successively to cut out the glass. For convenience in operating these cutting devices I prefer to employ a handle, as shown at 4. This handle may be conveniently attached to the lower edge of the frame and ordinarily lies within a recess formed in the window-casing, which will keep it out of the way; but it can be easily raised when required.

Each window of the car may be supplied with a device of thisvsort, so that whatever windows are free and comparatively unobstructed, either by overlapping parts or by great distortions of the car-frame, can be broken out and the passengers can readily escape through these openings.

If the car should be suspended where there is no convenient foothold for the escaping passengers, I have provided a convenient support, which may consist of a ledge just beneath the window. This ledge may be formed of a sufficiently-stiff iron rod bent to form a sort of yoke, the ends of which are attached to the sides of the car, or the device may be folded against the car when not in use, but easily turned to stand vertically from the side of the car when required. Such a device is illustrated at 5.

In case the car is provided with double windows it will be understood that each of the windows may be provided with one of these removing devices, the space between the windows being sufficient to contain the one which acts upon the outer glass, and the inner one will lie within the inner glass, as previously described.

The device being thin will occupy practically no space that could be otherwise available and will not in any way obstruct the vision or the amount of light passing through the window.

In order to assist the passenger in getting out of the window, I fix a flexible or other strap to the inner side of each window to sisting of a frame, means carried upon the window-sash for moving said frame so as to press upon the glass and to break it in lines substantially coincident with the inner line of the sash.

2. The combination with a window and the sash thereof of a metallic frame fulcrumed to the sash having points of contact with the glass parallel with and close to the inner edge of the sash whereby said glass may be cut or broken from the frame with smooth remaining edges.

3. The combination with a window and the sash thereof of one or more metallic bars pivoted to the sash adjacent to the inner portions of the sash, said bars having the lower edges formed with angles of contact and turnable about the fulcrum to press saidangles against and break the glass in substantially the line of the bars.

4. The combination with a glazed sash, of metal bars pivoted to the sash, said bars hav ing angles of contact on, said inner edges whereby the glass may be broken, and a handle connected with the bars and fitting a depression in the sash.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILHELM GATZEN, Witnesses S. H NOURSE, HENRY P. TRICOU. 

